


Dead Time

by basslined



Series: SASO 2016 [1]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Implied Sexual Content, M/M, SASO 2016, i guess??
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-09
Updated: 2016-06-09
Packaged: 2018-07-13 23:18:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,972
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7142282
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/basslined/pseuds/basslined
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's become somewhat of a tradition now: every second Saturday of the month they go to Saeko’s for dinner and a movie, Noya ends up asking her for the latest crazy, scary story she’s heard, and Tanaka has to spend the rest of the night trying not to piss himself at every small, out-of-place noise he hears.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Dead Time

**Author's Note:**

> A prompt fill for mousapelli, who requested "Remember when Noya begged Saeko to tell super scary stories every time he slept over, because she's freaking awesome at it, and Tanaka refused to admit he's terrified of them because he doesn't want to look stupid in front of his boyfriend?" 
> 
> I had a lot of fun with this, so I hope you all enjoy!

There's really only one thing that Tanaka and Nishinoya seem to disagree on: spooky shit.  
  
Tanaka has always just been a grin-and-bear-it kind of guy when it came to this side of Noya; he loves him with everything he has and honestly, if this was the only minor gripe Tanaka had about their relationship then they were _clearly_ doing it right.  
  
However, this little fact is a secret. Noya doesn't know that Tanaka dislikes all of it since he always humors his boyfriend whenever he wants to check out the newest horror flick at the theater or when he asks him to be his player two when he gets a new zombie shooter.  
  
Much to his dismay, Noya’s favorite scary thing by far is Saeko’s scary stories. They're what kickstarted Noya’s interest in the first place and Tanaka really couldn't blame him - she's amazing at telling them in just the sort of way that isn't over-the-top, yet still enough to let the words worm their way into your head without you realizing. She _also_ knows just how much the stories get under Ryuu’s skin in general, which on principle makes her way more inclined in the first place to rattle them off whenever asked. She's literally the worst.  
  
It's become somewhat of a tradition now: every second Saturday of the month they go to Saeko’s for dinner and a movie, Noya ends up asking her for the latest crazy, scary story she’s heard, and Tanaka has to spend the rest of the night trying not to piss himself at every small, out-of-place noise he hears. It's torture, but he doesn't want to look lame in front of Nishinoya; that's just never been an option.

 

* * *

  
The smell of udon fills the air of his sister’s apartment as Saeko moves from the stove to the fridge to grab a case of beer. It’s his and Noya’s favorite, always a special treat considering it's not all that cheap; they really only get to drink it when they're here and Tanaka always has the feeling she uses it to butter him up so he can't be as pissed when the usual events of the evening unfold. It mostly works, but he's not going to ever admit that.  
  
Noya looks over to Saeko from where he’s sitting curled up against Tanaka’s side on the couch, eyes sparkling as that terrible question comes out of his mouth. “Do you have one for us, Nee-san?!”  
  
She comes around the kitchen island to sit across from them, smile wide. “Well, of _course_. What kind of big sis would I be if I didn’t provide you two with some quality entertainment, right?” She winks at Ryuu in particular as she says this which earns the biggest eye roll he can muster up. “Okay, so you know how uncomfortable it is when someone’s staring at you for a long time? Like, you just feel their eyes on your back or whatever and eventually you have to look?”  
  
Noya nods, eyes wide as he listens intently. He grabs for Tanaka’s hand, lacing their fingers together as he sidles up even closer to him.  
  
“So they say that also rings true to when you’re asleep. That, you know, if you stare at someone long enough, they’ll wake up or whatever. Have you ever woken up unexplainably in the middle of the night, Yuu-chan?”  
  
“No, usually if I wake up it’s ‘cause of Ryuu’s snoring,” he says, digging his elbow playfully into Tanaka’s side.  
  
“Hey, I’m not as bad as you, okay?”  
  
“That’s what you think! You haven’t heard the noises that come outta your mouth.”  
  
“Speak for yourself!”  
  
“Well, what about you, Ryuu? Do you still wake up in the middle of the night? You used to as a kiddo, you know,” Saeko says, interrupting their light-hearted argument. Tanaka just turns back to stare at her.  
  
“Yeah, sometimes…Like, twice a week, I guess,” he hesitates, knowing exactly where this is going, but humoring her anyway. “What’re you gettin’ at?”  
  
“Isn’t it obvious? Someone has to be staring at you if you’ve woken up. Someone or something, anyway.” Tanaka knows that his sister is well aware that he and Noya don’t always sleep in the same bedroom and that it’s making this whole thing _even worse_. If he wasn’t certain she’d haunt him like whatever ghost she’s implying to be living in his fucking apartment already is, he’d probably kill her.  
  
“Oi, that’s not funny,” he grinds out, exhaling roughly through his nose when she laughs at him. Noya’s grip on his hand tightens and when he glances down, the tension in his shoulders bleeds away almost immediately. That smile he loves so much is plastered across Noya’s face, comforting and protective, and he can’t help the dumb grin that creeps across his own.  
  
“Let’s just watch the movie!!” he chirps, shifting to drape his arm across Ryuu’s middle and rest his head against his chest. Tanaka just hopes that Noya mistakes his still slightly raised heartbeat for affection and not the quiet anxiety caused by his sister’s voice as it sing-songs ‘ _There’s a fucking spirit in your house, little brother!!_ ’ loudly in the back of his mind.

 

* * *

  
Tanaka startles awake, rubbing a hand over the fuzz of his hair as he tries to calm down. Glancing at the clock, he notices it’s just barely past three in the morning and he’s instantly uneasy. Dead time, Saeko had called it in one of her stupid goddamn stories, the prime time for ghostly activity (or so they say). It’s really quiet - more so than usual, he thinks - and it’s making his stomach twist because all he can think about is what she’d said earlier that evening, that the only reason he’d be awake is because something had been watching him. He’s _seriously_ going to kill her.  
  
Grabbing his cell from the nightstand, he clicks the home button to get some light in the room. Bringing it around, his heart pretty much shits its pants when the light reflects off a dark figure making its way toward him from his doorway. He immediately drops his phone as the most undignified, embarrassing scream tears its way from his throat.  
  
“Dude! Holy shit, calm down, it’s just me!” Noya yells quietly as he flicks on the closet light, rushing over to Ryuu’s side and grabbing him by the shoulders.  
  
“What the hell are you doing, man!? It’s half-past three!” he wheezes, voice still rough with sleep, as he slowly regains his bearings thanks to Noya’s small, strong hands grounding him.  
  
“Nee-san’s story got me all freaked out and I was gonna come sleep with you! I woke up and had to piss, but then I started thinkin’ about it again. I didn’t realize how much she’d really gotten to me with this one.”  
  
Truthfully, Tanaka’s relieved because knowing that it had also freaked out Noya somehow makes him feel better. He just sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose, “Sorry. I guess it got under my skin, too.” (An understatement, clearly.)  
  
Nishinoya lets his hands slide up from Tanaka’s shoulders to rub his fingertips against his scalp and he can't help but lean into the touch; it always feels really nice. “It’s okay. Just scoot over.”  
  
Tanaka does as he’s asked, pulling the covers back so Noya can slide underneath them. He feels him hook a leg between Ryuu’s own as he presses his chest flush against his back. Noya always likes being the big spoon and it’s especially comforting and welcome tonight, considering.  
  
He closes his eyes when he feels Noya press small kisses to his shoulder, accompanied by his fingers tracing gentle circles against the fabric of his t-shirt. Even when they’re supposed to be trying to sleep, Nishinoya can never seem to just be still, but he’s not complaining; he soaks up Noya’s affection like a sponge and no matter how long it’s been since they’d first gotten together, he still enjoys every minute they spend wrapped up in each other.  
  
He’s still reveling in the soothing touch of Noya’s hands when he hears him pipe up. “Ryuu.”  
  
“Hm?”  
  
“I can’t sleep.”  
  
“I noticed.” Tanaka wriggles around to face him and Noya readjusts too, snuggling up against his chest. “Neither can I.”  
  
There's a glint in Nishinoya’s eye, then, unmistakable even in the low-light; he recognizes that look well enough by now to know what his intentions are and his suspicions are confirmed when he feels the playful brush of fingertips against his side as they toy with the bottom hem of his shirt.  
  
Tanaka ducks his head, trailing soft kisses across Noya’s cheek until he finds his mouth. It’s the silent approval his boyfriend was looking for and he can feel Noya smile against his lips before he tilts his head to better their angle.  


 

* * *

  
“...Can I confess something?” Noya asks, lightly tracing his fingers along Tanaka’s bare shoulder, continuing when he gets an affirmative noise, “You can’t laugh though, okay?”  
  
“Why would I laugh?”  
  
“I’m coverin’ my bases, alright.” _That_ makes Tanaka chuckle a little and Noya shoves at his chest, “See! Jeez. I haven’t even started yet.”  
  
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I won’t. Just tell me.”  
  
“Okay...so, like, I _might_ be a little freaked out. By Nee-san’s stories, but also pretty much everything? I know you like all that creepy shit which is why I always try to bring it up, but it low-key makes me want to sleep in a well-lit room for the rest of my life?”  
  
Tanaka is shocked, to say the least. All he can manage to do is pull Noya even closer, if possible, fingers nearly digging into his back as he breathes out a sigh of relief. Thank _god._ “Dude, I fucking _hate_ that stuff. I only went along with it because I thought you liked it and I didn’t want to look like an ass in front of you by freakin’ out.”  
  
“What!!” Noya pulls back a little to stare back, just as surprised, before smacking him on the arm just sharp enough. “Ryuu!! Why didn’t you tell me!!”  
  
“You didn’t tell me either, you dork!!” His boyfriend’s expression shifts into one that says ‘ _True shit._ ’ He laughs again, closing his eyes and pressing a kiss to Noya’s forehead.  
  
Noya finally moves to grab a handful of tissue to wipe up their mess, fumbling around on the nightstand. He’s met somewhat abruptly when Tanaka shoves the box into his seeking hand. Weird, but appreciated. “Oh, thanks dude.”  
  
Tanaka cracks an eye open to look at him as he feels the soft, processed cotton rub against his skin. “Huh? For what?”  
  
“For handin’ me the box.”  
  
His blood runs cold. “...What’re you talking about?”  
  
“...Whaddya mean, ‘ _what’re you talking about?_ ‘ You handed me the box of tissues.”  
  
“No, I didn’t.”  
  
“ _Ryuunosuke._ ”  
  
“I didn’t fuckin’ hand it to you, dude!”  
  
“Then who the hell did?!” Ryuu can hear the panic in his voice. At least they’re both in the same boat.  
  
“How am I supposed to know?!”  
  
“Ryuu!!! Go look!!”  
  
“Screw that, man!! We’ve accidentally forced each other into watching enough scary movies for me to know that is literally the _last_ thing I should be doing!!”  
  
Noya’s about to open his mouth again when there’s a loud knock against the wall, causing the two of them to shriek loudly in unison. Their neighbor yells for them to quiet down (not an unreasonable request considering it’s nearly 4:30 in the morning - honestly, Tanaka's surprised that they're only just expressing their annoyance now and not ten minutes ago, deep down) and they cover each other’s mouths to shut up.  
  
Amongst all the commotion, neither of them seem to notice the shadowy, transparent figure that walks past Tanaka’s doorway as it makes its way down the hall.

**Author's Note:**

> Come find me on twitter (@mokubah) and tumblr (@mokuba)!


End file.
